


inkstains and flowers

by Nudelsuppe



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dorks, Fluff, M/M, Shironeki - Freeform, Slow Build, Tattoo Artist!Kaneki, florist!Hide, shy Kaneki, tsukiyama for best bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-03-20 15:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3654867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nudelsuppe/pseuds/Nudelsuppe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No, what interested the white-haired boy the most were the florist’s breathtakingly brown eyes which seem to be competing with the warmth of the sun. Eyes which talk about home and safety. </p><p>------------------<br/>AU in which Kaneki's a shy tattoo artist who has a massive crush on the blonde florist who works across the street.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was a quiet morning. Only a few people were already out on the streets while the peat was gleaming in the rising sun. The past day’s storm seemed to be forgotten, the only evidence were the destroyed flower bouquets across the streets.

A small smile lingered on the white-haired boy’s face while he watched the employee of the flower shop desperately trying to fix the flowers in front of their store window. Blond hair—which was obviously bleached judging by the brown roots—was tied back in a small plait as the boy carried a few flower pots out of the shop. He seemed exhausted but still smiled his bright and contagious grin which made the white-haired boy’s heart beat just a little bit faster. The green apron was dirtied by moist earth and the florist even had mud on his cheek.

But the thing that always catched the boy’s attention wasn’t the orange headphones or the ridiculous green pants — No, what interested the white haired boy the most were the florist’s breathtakingly brown eyes which seem to be competing with the warmth of the sun. Eyes which talk about home and safety. The boy felt at ease whenever he saw the florist. It was plain amazing what a mere stranger could do to him and maybe, just maybe, this was the reason why he couldn’t stop himself from drawing the blond again and again and ag—

“Are you listening, Kaneki?”

Grey eyes were forced to look away from the sun’s reincarnation when his best friend’s face appeared in front of him.

“Sorry, Tsukiyama. Could you repeat that?”, he asked and tried to look apologetic.

The purple haired man just sighed and leaned back against his chair. Kaneki was thankful that his friend didn’t wear one of his… fancy suits that day but a plain shirt and pants.

“Would you just go already and talk to him, _mon ami?_ It’s no fun anymore, watching you struggle with your crush on the flower boy.”

Kaneki could feel his rising blush and averted his gaze.

“What are you talking about?”, he asked while touching his chin.

The white-haired boy knew that his friend just rolled his eyes. He wanted to say something but was interrupted by Tsukiyama taking his sketchbook away.

“H-hey! That’s mine! Return it!”, he desperately cried out. The boy tried to to get it back but his attempts were in vain. His friend’s arm was just too far away for him to grasp it. Defeated, Kaneki hid his face behind his hands. There was no way his ears weren’t red by now.

Another sigh escaped the man when his eyes screened over the newly drawn picture of a boy with messy blond hair, brown eyes and a sweet smile. He had to admit that Kaneki was talented at drawing humans even though his obsession with the florist seem to show itself in his latest drawings. While going through the sketchbook Tsukiyama noticed that Kaneki hadn’t drawn anything else besides the flower boy in the last few weeks. Which was kinda cute, but also creepy and just sad.

Kaneki knew that Tsukiyama would lecture him any minute now, but before his friend could start the door to their shop opened and a girl entered. She had short purple hair which covered one of her eyes and wore a t-shirt and shorts. Many people would describe her as beautiful and cute, but Kaneki knew way better than most men that below that sweet appearance a scary personality which shouldn’t be messed with rested.

“Good morning Touka!”, the white haired boy greeted.

He took advantage of Tsukiyama as soon as said one was distracted by the girl’s entrance and took his sketchbook back. A relieved sigh escaped him while his friend looked at him from the corner of his eyes.

“Morning, you two.”, she said while monopolizing the couch on the other side of the room. The tattoo shop was rather small but comfy and Kaneki loved working here. The customers were nice just like his co-worker and chef Uta and Kaneki got the chance to draw whenever he felt like it. Even though he prefered working in the back room he didn’t mind leading the shop from time to time.

Thursday’s like that one were always quiet, and he enjoyed spending time with his few friends. He didn’t mention it often, but Kaneki was grateful for Tsukiyama finding him this job after his aunt threw him out of her house as soon as he turned eighteen. His best friend helped him out when he was lost and even now, many years after all this, Kaneki didn’t know how to repay this kindness.

Touka looked at the sketchbook in Kaneki’s hand and raised an eyebrow.

“Did he draw that flower boy again?”

“Would you please stop calling him that? And it’s none of your business what I draw.”, the white haired boy muttered and looked away. Why did they always have to tease him like this?

“Getting a bit possessive, hm? And fine, we won’t call him that anymore as soon as you tell us his name.”, Touka mused, and Kaneki knew she smirked even without looking at her.

But she had a point. Afterall, he didn’t know the name of the florist who worked on the other side of the street. How often did Kaneki plan to enter the flower shop and talk to the gorgeous employee just to pass the building once again because he wasn’t brave enough? It was frustrating but he couldn’t overcome his shy and nervous nature.

His friend seem to notice his uneasiness and, with a sigh, Touka scratched her cheek.

“Listen, we all know that you like him. And we want to help you. But we can’t do that when you’re not ready to cooperate.”

Kaneki looked up and saw the sympathy in her and Tsukiyama’s eyes. His friends already found their most important person and they just want him to be happy as well. He knew that and he was grateful, but he didn’t think that there was anyone who could actually like his weird and awkward self. Even though he had tried to change himself, he couldn’t shake off his old behaviour and no new haircolor or clothes could change that.

He couldn’t stop himself from shrinking back as soon as a hand touched his shoulder gently. Only then Kaneki noticed the tears streaming down his face as Tsukiyama offered him a tissue.

“Your flower boy will definitely fall for you, _mon ami_. So don’t worry about it. He would be a fool for not seeing your great personality, no kidding.”, the purple-haired man said while smiling.

Kaneki tried to return the smile when a fist connected with his head. It wasn’t a hard punch but it still made the white-haired boy whimper while rubbing the back of his head slightly. He tried to send Touka a death glare but her smirk told him it didn’t quite worked.

“Now stop crying, idiot. I decided to visit you and the color-blind clown today because I have an important announcement to make. You see, after I thought about it for months I finally proposed to Yoriko and she said yes. We’re going to get married and I want you—” She pointed at Kaneki, “to be my best man.”

To say that Kaneki was speechless would be an understatement. Why for the love of god would Touka choose him for her best man? He couldn’t even hold a normal conversation without stammering or being awkward so how can she expect him to hold a speech in front of a crowd? She really had to hate him.

Stunned he looked at his best friend for support but Tsukiyama’s amused expression told him that he wouldn’t get any from him. _Just great._

“I won’t accept a ‘no’ as an answer so save it, Kaneki. And do you want to know the best part?”

The white-haired boy already knew that he wouldn’t like what would come next.

“I want you to help me with the preparations for my wedding. And this includes buying flowers.”

Grey eyes widen in recognition. She couldn’t plan to….

“You wouldn’t.”, his voice mumbled.

“Oh I would. And I will. So please be a sweetheart and help me pick some flowers, okay? I just saw some nice bouquets outside a particular shop so would you please accompany me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!!
> 
> my tumblr: my tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)
> 
> beta'd by the amazing [hidebot](http://hidebot.tumblr.com/) please check her fics out!!
> 
> idea by the beautiful [pomelopasta](http://pomelopasta.tumblr.com/)~


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whenever he caught a glimpse of the tattoo artist he felt the nagging feeling to cross the street and introduce himself. The boy radiated a certain kindness and tenderness that made the blonde’s heart beat faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please check out these amazing fanarts for the story:
> 
> [milleniumcrepuscule](http://millenniumcrepuscule.tumblr.com//): [Hide](http://millenniumcrepuscule.tumblr.com/post/115376266233/florist-hide-sketch-from-oikawa-saan-s/) and [Kaneki](http://millenniumcrepuscule.tumblr.com/post/115379499783/again-from-oikawa-saan-s-fanfiction-i-really/)
> 
> [akaashi-keijiii](http://akaashi-keijiii.tumblr.com//): [Hide and Kaneki](http://akaashi-keijiii.tumblr.com/post/115613174598/heres-some-florist-hide-from-oikawa-saans-fic/)
> 
> [blackberrymilkshake](http://blackberrymilkshake.tumblr.com//): [Hide and Kaneki](http://blackberrymilkshake.tumblr.com/post/115757931738/so-mutsuki-jpg-on-skype-suggested-id-draw-a/)
> 
> thank you so much!!!!

  
Music blared through orange headphones as the boy swung his hips to the beat. The broom turned into a microphone, the shop was his stage. He could almost hear the screaming voices of his flower friends, see their underwear landing in front of his feet. A smile lingered on the blond’s lips while he made his way through the crowd, signing countless leaves in his fantasy.

 

The dirt vanished wherever the boy went, blinds were pulled up. Laughter could be heard, while the blond showed his new dance moves to the plants. As soon as the solo started, he transformed his microphone into a fancy e-guitar. The way the florist pulled the strings assured him that he must have been the next Beethoven of his generation.There was no way that a skilled, handsome and charming guitar player like him wouldn’t get the admiration of at least three continents. The song reached its peak and the boy tried to convert all his feelings into his voice. He may have not understood the lyrics at all but it sounded emotional, so who was he to deny the song of its message? The last verse ended with a high tone and the florist swore he had definitely hit it.

 

“—chika.”

 

Hmm?

 

“Oi, Nagachika!!”, a voice yelled.

 

The blond turned around and saw the totally optimistic and happy face of his… friend. Knowing that he would get into more trouble the longer he would sing, the florist set his headphones around his neck. The singer of a different band could be heard, screaming the lyrics in another foreign language.

 

“Good morning, Nishiki! Do you want to join in my stage debut? I’m sure there are a few flowers who would love to hear your angelic voice singing, don’t you think?”, the blond grinned.

 

The brunette didn’t seem impressed by the florist offering him the broom invitingly.

 

“Quit it already. Can’t you clean the shop without giving me a headache for once?”

 

A mischievous smile lingered on Nagachika Hideyoshi’s lips as he made his way to the trash can to throw a few leaves away.

 

“Aw, come on. Don’t be like that, Nishiki. You don’t have to be jealous of my voice.”, the florist teased.

 

“Believe me, I’m not.”, was the simple answer the older one gave him as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

 

On first glance, Nishiki Nishio seemed like a sarcastic and rather cynical guy. On second glance too. But when you got to know him better, then— No, wait. Scratch that. Your first impression was most likely right. Although he may be crude at times, the blond enjoyed their mutual teasing. Their antics were fun and in the end he hadn't thought of Nishiki’s company as unpleasant.

 

Hide shrugged and put his headphones back on. The song playing was just as catchy as the previous one, but the florist made sure not to sing along again. He knew better than to challenge Nishiki’s patience on such a lovely morning. Being satisfied with humming, the blond continued with his cleaning and carried a few flower pots outside the shop.

 

The world was beautiful. The florist decided that as soon as he stepped into the awakening morning. The sun was rising and the gleam shone in the light. It was quiet and peaceful. Hide remembered the past day’s storm and how bad it had seemed to be. But besides the destroyed bouquets, every hint had vanished. It was a shame — He had done his best to put suitable flowers together. But that only meant he could do even better ones now. He grinned and looked around. There weren’t many people on the streets yet, but what did he expect? It was still early.

 

Hide’s eyes lingered on the tattoo shop across the street. He once thought about getting a tattoo, but who was he kidding? The blond was too much of a scaredy cat. The pain had to be agonizing, and what if he didn’t like the design after some years anymore? No — he wouldn’t risk it.

 

The shop was rather small compared to other ones, but it looked inviting and comfortable. The florist couldn’t make out every detail of the interior design, but it was flooded by a warm light which made the white hair seem like freshly fallen snow on a winter day. The contrast between the hair colour and the black shirt never ceased to amaze Hide. Whenever he caught a glimpse of the tattoo artist he felt the nagging feeling to cross the street and introduce himself. The boy radiated a certain kindness and tenderness that made the blond’s heart beat faster.

 

However, his tense shoulders and introverted stance implied a current problem or a past event which still influenced his everyday life.

 

How often did Hide think about entering the shop and talking to the white-haired employee?

 

Taking him into his arms and reassuring him that everything would be okay?

 

The blond knew that it was the wrong way of approaching the boy and he could seem like a weird stalker. And he surely didn’t want that.

 

If he ever found the right moment to talk to the white-haired boy, it had to be a perfect one. The tattoo artist didn’t appear to be a social person so it had to be a quiet place which wasn’t full of crowds. A nice picnic in a park or—

 

“Stop daydreaming, Nagachika!”

 

Hide winced at the startlingly loud voice of his friend and turned around.

 

Nishiki stood in the entrance while holding a happy looking Kimi in his arm. The girl smiled brightly at the florist and said one couldn’t resist returning the grin.

 

“There aren’t any customers right now so I wanted to ask you if it’s alright if I go and eat something with Nishiki.”, Kimi said.

 

Her and Hide were the only employees of the shop, they could manage even though it was a bit stressful at times. Nishiki often visited his girlfriend at work which leaded to his interesting friendship with Hide. Kimi didn’t mind their bickering, she was kind and gentle. The blond enjoyed working with her and seeing her this happy in her friends’ arms, who was he to deny her request?

 

“Of course you can go. Just make sure to be back before noon. I’ll run the shop till then.”

 

The girl thanked Hide and said one watched his friends walking down the street, holding hands.

 

A sigh escaped his lips as soon as he reentered the flower shop. Hand ruffling his hair, Hide made his way into the back room of the shop. It was high time to put new bouquets together.

 

Orange headphones back on his head, the blond listened to his favourite song. It contained a beautiful harmony which never ceased to lift his mood. Humming to himself and tapping his foot to the beat, minutes passed.

 

He didn’t know how much time passed when his ears heard the entrance door being opened. A smile creeped onto the florist’s face because finally, he could tease Nishiki again. It was getting boring without anyone to talk to.

 

“Oi, Nishiki!”, Hide called into the main room while cleaning his dirty hands. “I got a new pun for you!! Okay, listen up: What do you call a deer without eyes?!”

 

Silence.

 

“No eye-deer!!”

 

Still no answer. At that, Hide paused. Nishiki would have long ago sighed while Kimi would have laughed. Something was fishy. Deciding to check on his friends, the blond left the back room.

 

“Come on, guys! It wasn’t this ba— oh shit.”, he murmured as soon as his eyes laid on the cute and handsome white-haired boy standing in the entrance awkwardly.

  
“...Hi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that the introducing chapters are done we can finally move on to the fun part~ 
> 
> my tumblr: my tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)
> 
> beta'd by the amazing [hidebot](http://hidebot.tumblr.com/) please check her fics out!!
> 
> idea by the beautiful [pomelopasta](http://pomelopasta.tumblr.com/)~


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaneki had been wrong when he said that these eyes were competing with the warmth of the sun. They were outshining the star in the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amazing fanart:
> 
> [akaashi-keijiii](http://akaashi-keijiii.tumblr.com//): [Hide (and Kaneki) from the last scene in chapter 2](http://akaashi-keijiii.tumblr.com/post/117123384033/kanekis-more-embarrassed-than-you-hide)
> 
> [millenniumcrepuscule](http://millenniumcrepuscule.tumblr.com//): [Kaneki](http://millenniumcrepuscule.tumblr.com/post/117080501353/im-broken) and [Kaneki](http://millenniumcrepuscule.tumblr.com/post/117082868283/i-need-air)
> 
> thank you so much!!!

 

Kaneki wasn’t an idiot. He had thought about his first meeting with the florist a lot. He had considered different ways of approaching the blond and thought of things to say. The white-haired boy had played through many scenarios in his head and when Touka had asked—or ordered—him to visit the flower shop, he had thought he was prepared.

 

He had planned exactly what to say, how to behave and react. A whole script had been written in his mind, waiting to be read out loud.

 

Who would have thought that a simple pun could destroy his whole preparation.

 

Kaneki felt stupid, standing awkwardly in the entrance while desperately trying to think of something to say. The fact that the florist blushed and scratched the back of his head nervously didn’t help him concentrating at all.

 

“Sorry… I thought you were someone else.”, the blond apologized sheepishly and displayed an uncomfortable smile.

 

The tattoo artist—who could feel his heart beating faster—tried to memorize the sight in front of him. Standing close to the florist, he could finally see every little detail. Little freckles were sprayed over his face, running down his neck and vanishing below his shirt. His face showed signs of exertion, mud still covered his cheek. A few strands of hair stuck to his face thanks to the sweat while the rest was tied back in a plait. The florist’s hands were dirty and Kaneki noticed the scratches which covered them. He absentmindedly wondered if they were caused by thorns and branches. _The blond should be more careful and wear gloves._

 

The white-haired boy’s thoughts were interrupted upon hearing the employee’s soothing and pleasant voice.

 

“How may I help you?”

 

Kaneki tried to think of something intelligent but he found his mind blank. _What a wonderful first impression. Nice job, idiot._

 

“We are planning a wedding and we need bouquets. The ones in front of your shop looked promising so we decided to pay you a visit, hoping you may help us.”, Touka’s voice announced. Kaneki winced slightly—he had forgotten that she was with him. Though he was grateful that she broke the awkward silence.

 

The florist’s smile seemed to waver a bit but Kaneki wasn’t sure. He was never good at reading other’s expressions. As soon as the tattoo artist had recognized the change in the blond’s mood, it was already gone, leaving the white-haired boy wondering if he had just imagined things.

 

The florist grinned his bright and contagious smile and signalized the two of them to follow him into the back of the shop.

 

“A wedding, huh? It would be an honor for me to help you with it. And I’m glad that you liked the bouquets, I made them myself. It’s sad that they were destroyed by the storm but I’m already putting new ones together. I like to assemble them regarding their meaning. I’m quite good with flower symbolism, you know?”, the florist explained while gesturing widely with his hands.

 

The white-haired boy noticed that the blond was almost jumping while going on and on about their meaning. A small smile lingered on his lips while listening to the bundle of energy who continued his rambling about different types of flowers, their advantages and disadvantages regarding a wedding. It was nice, hearing his pleasant voice. For some unknown reason it put Kaneki at ease and made him feel secure. The tattoo artist didn’t pay attention to the words, rather to the way the blond would emphasize some terms or how he would stretch the end of a sentence.

 

“So, do you have anything in mind? Color? Type? Any special symbolism they should hold?”

  
  
The florist spun around on his heels and grey eyes met brown ones. Kaneki had been wrong when he said that these eyes were competing with the warmth of the sun. They were outshining the star in the sky. The tattoo artist could almost lose himself in the depths of such a comforting brown. He felt at peace while looking at them. It was funny how Kaneki suddenly remembered the burger his mother had always made for him whenever she could. That’s right… He associated the boy in front of him with home and safety. Things he hadn’t thought of in a long time.

 

“We haven’t thought of anything explicit yet. So feel free to do what you want.”, Touka said casually while shrugging to emphasize her point. Kaneki couldn’t quite understand how she could act so normal in front of the florist. But then again it wasn’t that surprising. He was the only idiot in the room who had obviously fell for the punmaster.

 

The florist hummed in understanding and scratched his chin thoughtfully. He began looking for something, magazines with examples he informed the other two.

 

Touka pulled at Kaneki’s shirt and the boy forced himself to  look away from the blond. As soon as the girl noticed that she had her best friend’s attention, she started whispering.

 

“I really have to go now. I want to meet up with Yoriko and eat lunch with her. Do you think you are capable of handling this without drooling his shop full or running into things because you’re too busy checking his body out? Or do I have to stay?”

  
  
Kaneki’s glare mustn’t have hold the force he had hoped it would have contained because Touka still smirked at him and his reddening face.

 

“I think I’ll manage a few moments without looking like an idiot, thank you very much. Now go and enjoy your date.”, the white-haired boy replied while sending a small smile.

 

Touka looked at him for a little while longer before sighing and walking back to the entrance. He could hear the door being closed and released the breath he didn’t know he was holding. The girl’s look could give him the creeps at times. Especially because she could read him a bit too well for his liking. Kaneki may had been shy and clumsy and awkward and embarrassing but… _Wait, where should this end up again?_ He had forgotten. At any rate, he could do it, without messing things up. _Definitely_.

 

“Hmm? Where did she go?”, the florist asked while struggling to hold all the magazines he had found. He sent Kaneki a smile and raised his eyebrows in confusion.

 

“Well, Touka - I mean, the girl who was just with me, she—I think she wanted—Okay, what I’m trying to say is that Touka... She... ehm… left.”

 

 _This was bound to be fun,_ Kaneki decided while beating himself mentally.

 

\--------

 

He could feel the looks the other two in the tattoo shop gave him. It was unnerving but he tried to play it down. Minutes passed and Kaneki tried in vain to concentrate on his book, rereading the same sentence for the 21st time already. He fidgeted and waited for the other ones to drop their sudden interest in him.

 

Which didn’t happen.

 

Sighing, the white-haired boy put his book down, making sure to memorize the page he was currently at. After a moment of hesitation he finally looked up and saw the bemused expressions of his _oh so dear_ friends.

 

“What?”, he asked and wow—that had sounded more defeated than he would have liked. Though his friends didn’t seem to mind, were they still holding up their smirks. Kaneki knew that they wouldn’t drop the topic so he might as well give in and cooperate.

 

“Nothing.”, Kanae answered bemused and shared a look with Tsukiyama, who was currently sitting on the couch with him. Kaneki was nervous—He knew that looked too good. Both of them kept something hidden from him and they wouldn’t reveal their little secret that easily.

 

Something told him he was better off just ignoring them and their little mind game.

 

A pity that the white-haired boy was too curious for his own good.

 

“Come on, guys. What is it this time? I don’t think it can be my fashion sense—You already got rid of my… unfavorable clothes.” A shudder rushed over his body upon remembering the _quality time_ he had spent with the two purple heads in the mall. He knew better than to ever go shopping with them again.

 

A laugh escaped Tsukiyama’s mouth and Kaneki tensed up. This couldn’t mean anything good.

 

“Don’t worry, _mon ami_. Your clothes are perfect, after all we made sure of it.”, his best friend grinned while laying an arm around Kanae.

 

The white-haired boy couldn’t suppress the little smile which found its way to his lips. He was happy for Tsukiyama. He and Touka had both found their perfect match. If Kaneki would have been honest, he would admit the jealous feeling which creeped into his heart from time to time. He couldn’t help himself but envy the way Kanae and Tsukiyama looked at each other, seeming to understand without words.

 

_It must be nice, having someone important who likes you as well._

“Where did you get that _Blume_ from, Kaneki?”, Kanae asked with a knowing undertone.

 

Said one looked at the flower standing on top of his little desk, neatly placed inside a simple but pretty vase. His gaze softened and he smiled tenderly at the white camellia the florist gave him.

 

It had fully bloomed and hold the shape of a delicate cup of white petals. The tinge of cream at the base of the petals reminded Kaneki of the blond and the way he had grinned his contagious smile while giving the flower to the tattoo artist.

 

“A florist gave it to me this afternoon. He said the flower was a present because it was my first time visiting his shop.”, the white-haired boy muttered. A warm feeling began to spread through his body and he found himself smiling happily.

 

“Adorable indeed…”, Tsukiyama muttered silently to Kanae, leaving Kaneki confused.

 

The only thing the tattoo artist knew right now was that he would definitely visit the florist again.

 

And hopefully soon.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> white camellia stands for: you're adorable
> 
> (Blume is german for flower)
> 
> \----
> 
> I'm so sorry that it took so long ; ;
> 
> my tumblr: my tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)
> 
> beta'd by the amazing [hidebot](http://hidebot.tumblr.com/) please check her fics out!!
> 
> idea by the beautiful [pomelopasta](http://pomelopasta.tumblr.com/)~


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hide wouldn’t call it stalking. Or being creepy. It was perfectly normal to stand in front of a shop, nose pressing against the store window, trying to make out a certain figure. If people asked him why he was grinning like a madman, the blond wouldn’t tell them about the white camellia standing on the counter in a beautiful vase.

Hide was an idiot.

 

A big one.

 

How the hell could he fall for a soon-to-be husband?! And just why did he give him that flower? If that cutie - _stop referring to him as that, idiot_ \- If that totally normal and average tattoo artist were to find out about the symbolism, the blond would be dead. Well, more likely embarrassed, but it would be the same! The florist had to admit that he was a bit afraid of that purple-haired girl beating him up for knowing about his crush on her boyfriend. She may look beautiful and charming, but Hide could guess that it was more on the outside than inside.

 

And don’t get him started on that pun. He had been lucky that this handso— average visitor didn’t turn on his heels to leave the shop. Though it had been a good one. Took him hours to find a suitable eye-related pun for Nishiki and that dumbass didn’t even hear it. _What a shame._

 

Sighing, Hide opened the door to his apartment and entered his personal kingdom. Finding the light switch in the darkness, light floated into the room and revealed a beautifully and heartfelt mess. The underpants lying around formed a colorful ocean, the bottles looked like ships travelling from one continent to the other. The scattered papers reminded him of fallen leaves in autumn and he could almost grasp the smell of the coming winter.

 

His first stop was the stereo he kept in his living room. There was no way he would take a shower without a good beat and meaningful lyrics. Turning the current song as loud as he’s allowed without his neighbours threatening him with calling the police, Hide began taking off his clothes. Swinging his hips, the blond missed his fans at work. They were missing out.

 

He tried taking a cold shower like every real man did but after a few seconds, Hide decided that he had shown enough manly behaviour for a day, changing the water to hot. It was always difficult, singing two voices of a song, however the blond managed to complement the woman part of “barbie girl”. Hide knew that one day he would find a “Ken” to sing the song with him.

 

The florist would have hit the highest note if it wasn’t for the soap in his mouth. Deciding that no, it didn’t taste as good as it smelled, Hide grabbed the shower head and washed out his mouth and the shampoo. The hot water felt pleasantly warm on his skin, finding its way down his body and into the drain.

 

Humming a tuneless melody, the boy took a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Whenever he stepped out of the shower, he felt like a rockstar enveloped by a mysterious mist. Hide drew a smiling emoji with his finger on the fogged mirror before changing into his pyjamas. The shirt was a few sizes too big and he felt like a small kid in adult’s clothes.  

 

Falling down on his couch, Hide switched on the TV, looking for something good to watch. After minutes he finally settled on a classical thriller. The plot was predictable and he knew the identity of the murderer rather quickly, though it was still entertaining. The blond used the commercials to make himself something to eat and enjoyed watching the characters struggling to find out who the murderer was. It amused him to no end that it had been the gardener, confirming every cliche possible.

 

It was almost noon when Hide decided to go to bed, almost stumbling over a makeshift mountain of doomed socks. He silently swore them that he would find their lost partners one day.

 

Laying down on his bed, the blond vanished under his blanket. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about the white-haired boy. Their meeting had been rather short after the girl had left, but Hide could still remember the cute stuttering and the way grey eyes had tried to look anywhere but him. It had amused the florist to no end but he was curious about why the boy had acted like that. Maybe he had been speechless by the blond’s handsome looks… or he had been creeped out by Hide’s weird behaviour. Shrugging to himself, the blond decided to sleep.

 

He would make sure that this wasn’t his last meeting with the totally average and not interesting artist.

 

* * *

 

Hide wouldn’t call it stalking. Or being creepy. It was perfectly normal to stand in front of a shop, nose pressing against the store window, trying to make out a certain figure. If people asked him why he was grinning like a madman, the blond wouldn’t tell them about the white camellia standing on the counter in a beautiful vase.

 

Upon failing in spotting white hair, breathtaking grey eyes or a shy smile, the florist found himself pouting. How could the ordinary employee dare not showing up when Hide appeared 10 minutes earlier than his shift?

 

“May I help you?”

 

The blond was startled upon hearing the foreign voice, turning around to see a man with an… interesting fashion style standing in the entrance to the tattoo shop. His purple hair was neatly combed and the florist had to admit that he was good-looking, apart from the clown’s suit.

 

Scratching his cheek, the blond released a strained laugh.

 

“I… ehm.. I was just.. admiring your clean store window! Yes! Do you mind telling me what utensil you used?!” _Great job, Nagachika._

 

Raising an eyebrow, the colourful model didn’t seem to believe one word. _What a shame, it had been a great excuse._

 

“You’re the flower boy, right? Have to admit that his drawing captured most of your features. Impressing and concerning at the same time.”

 

_His drawing? He can’t mean the white-haired cutie, right?_

 

“Excuse me, but… I don’t think I can follow you. Care to explain?”, Hide asked with his most charming smile. Getting his hopes up was probably the biggest mistake he could make, but the blond would clutch at any straw. Even if it’ll lead him into disappointment.

 

“He’s not here.”, another voice said just as a new person came into Hide’s view. It was another man standing next to the fashion catastrophe, being slightly smaller. His hair was purple as well and the florist absently wondered if the cutie only knew people with that hair colour.

 

“He? Who are you talki— ohhh. I-I wasn’t looking for him! I was just admiring your beautiful shore window! You guys really have to tell me your secret!” Trying to hide his embarrassment with a grin, the blond felt himself fidging under the knowing glances the two gave him.

 

“He should be here soon.”, the taller one said and winked at him. Without another word, they entered the shop again, leaving the florist alone. He knew that they were observing him from the interior space. Laying his head against the window,the boy closed his eyes.

  
  
_It’s not even 10am yet and I already made a fool out of myself. New record, Hide._

Releasing a disappointed sigh, Hide spinned around to leave, not expecting the following collision.

 

Falling back on his beautiful four letters, Hide released a surprised yelp. It hurt and the blond was sure he might die from the overwhelming pain in his butt. A whine wanted to escape his mouth but got stucked upon hearing the voice which made his heart stop a beat.

 

“I’m so sorry! I saw you standing there and I just wanted to ask you if you were okay. You turned around so fast, I couldn’t react. Are you okay?”

 

Eyes meeting the color of captured storms, Hide knew he had died. There was no way that this boy looked so good while being concerned, the way the sun enveloped his body was just plain unfair.

 

Looking dumbfounded for what felt like years, the florist tried to understand the angel’s words. The fact that the white-haired boy reached out to help him stand up wasn’t helping at all.

 

Laying back on the pavement, the blond stared up into the sky.

 

“What a great way to die,” he grinned and crossed the arms behind his head. His smile only widened upon seeing the confused look the angel gave him.

 

“D-did he hit his head?”, the concerned voice whispered to himself.

 

Sitting up, Hide smiled his brightest grin and grabbed the white-haired boy’s hand. Standing up, the blond dusted his clothes, smile still present.

 

“Sorry, I’m just happy to see you—r shop is doing well.”, Hide corrected himself quickly. Laughing nervously, he scratched the back of his head.

 

“Yea… I guess it’s going alright... W-would you mind letting go of my hand?” the artist asked. Not daring to look at the blond, the white-haired boy averted his gaze.

 

Blinking a few times, Hide looked down to their joined hands, feeling his face heating up. Letting go as if he was holding a hot potato, the florist quickly pulled his hand back.

 

“W-why were you standing in front of the shop anyway? Not that you’re not allowed! I mean, you can do what you want, but I was curious — You don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable, it’s your right to stand where you want but I — I was just..argh.”

 

Hide couldn’t hold back his laughter, while the tattoo artist desperately tried to talk himself out of the situation, ending his rambling with a hand in front of his mouth.

 

“Dude, it’s fine. Actually, I was waiting for you.”

 

The blush and the high pitched ‘Waiting for me?’ the tattoo artist made was enough to brighten Hide’s day and he decided that no flower on earth could compete with the beautiful red of the boy’s cheeks.

 

“I wanted to ask you if you would like to drink a coffee with me in your break? You know, discussing the wedding and all.” Shifting his weight from one side to the other, the blond observed the tattoo artist and waited for a reply.

 

_There. I said it. No going back. All or nothing. I just want to get to know him… For the wedding, of course. I have to know what flowers are suitable. This is no date, Hideyoshi. Do you understand that? No. Date._

 

The white-haired boy was nervously fidgeting, hands searching for a way to occupy themselves. They seemed to look for something and the blond wondered if the boy unconsciously tried to hide himself.

 

Almost missing the quiet answer, Hide perked up.   
  
“What did you say?”

 

“S-sure. I would like to join you in my break.”

 

_Did the cutie just agree?! He so did! Yes! Smooth Hide did it once again! A date with the fantastic artist! I should pat myself on the shoulder! It’s a date, a date, a date!_

“—perly ask Touka if she wants to join us though. If it’s about the wedding, she should be there as well.”

 

Feeling his hopes crumble into little pieces, which were soon blown away by the cold reality, the blond struggled to maintain his smile.

 

_Oh yea. His girlfriend. Whoops._

 

“It speaks for itself that she should be there as well, right? It’s her wedding, who is dumb enough not to ask the bride for the meeting? Not me!”

 

Mentally slapping himself, the florist knew it was just his luck to fall for a taken boy. As long as he could build up a friendship, Hide would surely be happy. _Anything to hear his voice._

 

“Great. So when should I pick you two up?”, the blond asked with the brightest grin he could manage in this situation.

 

Grey eyes were watching him intensely and the florist wondered if the boy had a suspicion. Burying the idea as deep as he could, Hide patiently waited for the artist’s answer.

 

“It depends on the number of customers and their desired design. So I’ll come over as soon as possible, i-is that alright?”, the black-haired boy answered.  A small but beautiful smile lingered on the boy’s lips and Hide found himself wanting to hug the life out of him.

 

Agreeing, Hide had to cut the conversation rather short, because his shift had started 13 minutes ago. Crossing the street, the blond suddenly remembered something. He turned around and used his hands as a makeshift amplifier, supporting his voice.

 

“By the way, what’s your name?!”

 

The white-haired boy looked over his shoulder and Hide swore he saw a light red on his cheeks and a small smile.

 

“It’s Kaneki. Kaneki Ken.”

 

_Kaneki Ken._

 

“I’m Nagachika Hideyoshi but you can call me Hide!”, the blond grinned from ear to ear. The artist nodded before vanishing behind the door, leaving a happy florist behind.

 

He wanted to scream and pump his fist into the air but it was probably too weird. Trying to contain his happiness, Hide spinned on his heels, intending to enter the shop. He didn’t expect running into the glass door but he couldn’t care less about the resulting lump.

_  
Looks like I found my duet partner._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! I had lost my motivation but a certain comment inspired me to continue this fic and here I am~
> 
> my tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)
> 
> my beautiful beta reader: [amonseyebrowgame](http://amonseyebrowgame.tumblr.com//), please check her amazing Hidekane fics out!!
> 
> credits to [blackberrymilkshake](http://blackberrymilkshake.tumblr.com/) for the barbie song idea~


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> amazing and beautiful fanart by [mildlycuriousdragon](http://mildlycuriousdragon.tumblr.com//): [please check them out!!](http://mildlycuriousdragon.tumblr.com/post/124258314864/doodles-of-one-of-my-absolute-favorite-hidekane)

Kaneki wouldn’t say he was embarrassed.

 

If anyone had asked him, he would have denied his warm cheeks. And the high squeal that had left his mouth. And the tripping over his own feet while closing the shop’s door behind him.

 

No, Kaneki wasn’t embarrassed. Why would he be? It wasn’t anything special to be asked out by your crush.

 

Ignoring the looks of the two purple-haired men, the tattoo artist walked past them towards the counter. The white camellia was so pretty and whenever grey eyes laid upon the flower, he felt a warm bubbly feeling spreading through his body. Kaneki searched for his sketchbook and upon finding it, he looked for his very first drawing of the florist. He had to make sure to add details later but for now he was happy just writing down the blond’s name: Nagachika Hideyoshi.

 

He knew that his friends were smirking but he acted as if he couldn’t feel their eyes on him. The tattoo artist entered the back room and closed the door behind him. As soon as he was sure that no one could hear him, the white-haired boy slid down the door. Hiding behind his hands, Kaneki squeaked. Feeling his ears burning, the tattoo artist hid his face in his shirt and tried to take a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

 

_Oh god._

 

He would meet the handsome florist again.

 

He would talk to _Hide_ again.

 

Wait…

 

Talk?

 

Grey eyes widened at the realisation. He had to talk. Like, forming sentences and using words. No matter how many books Kaneki had read, as soon as he had laid his eyes upon a certain blond, his speaking ability had become worse than a kid’s. He hadn’t been able to think in the other’s presence, and he had said the first thing that came to his mind. Groaning, the white-haired boy’s head leaned back and hit the door painfully. A curse escaped his lips, while trying to rub the pain away. Damn, he really was useless when it came to that.

 

Wincing upon hearing the soft knock on the door, Kaneki stopped his train of thoughts.

 

“Are you okay, _mon ami_?”

 

A small smile found its way onto Kaneki’s face and his eyes closed.

  
  
“I’m okay, Tsukiyama. Just hit my head. Don’t worry.”

 

Kaneki tried to listen to his friends’ mumbling but their voices were too quiet. After a long moment, Tsukiyama’s voice could be heard again.

 

“Okay. But if you need something, call us.”

 

The tattoo artist was grateful for his friends’ concerns, but he didn’t think he deserved such people around him. Tsukiyama, Touka and Kanae… They were a blessing and not one day passed in which Kaneki didn’t feel thankful for their presence. They had saved and accepted him, no matter how useless he was.

 

Standing up, Kaneki used the door to support himself. He ruffled his messy white hair and sighed.  _Stop thinking like that, idiot. You’re supposed to be happy, remember?_

His eyes wandered around, taking in the shelves full of ink, towels and all sorts of templates. In the corner of the room stood a mirror right next to a pile of books. Taking a deep breath, kaneki walked over to the mirror and looked at his reflection. Normally, he tried to avoid looking at himself. White hair, pale skin. Dark circles decorated his eyes and tired grey would stare back.

 

But today was different.

 

Soft and glowing eyes met his, a small smile lingered on his reflection's face. Confused, the boy touched his cheek and really —  He was smiling. It wasn’t as bright as the florist’s grin but it was there. And for the first time in forever, Kaneki felt a warmth spreading through his body, saw the light red on his cold cheeks.

 

The boy who looked back at him seemed to be happy, excited and relieved.

 

Until his eyes wandered to his shoulder.

 

Taking a deep breath, he pulled down his shirt and revealed the head of a centipede, knowing that its body crawled over his back. Its antennas seemed to wrap around his neck, threatening to strangle him. The animal’s red head contracted with his skin colour, almost seemed like a blood stain. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he carefully touched it as if he was afraid that it might burn him.

 

His biggest fear.

 

His breath hitched and he fixed his shirt, watching the animal vanish under the cloth. Closing his eyes, Kaneki took a moment to calm down. He tried to remember what had given him this warm feeling and smiled softly upon thinking of the blond.

 

_Tomorrow._

 

* * *

 

 

“What do you mean, you won’t come with me?!”

 

Grey eyes were widening, mouth open. He gestured with his hands, tried to understand his friend’s words. Touka didn’t seem impressed, she stood cross-armed in front of him with a raised eyebrow.

 

“You heard me. I won’t accompany you on your date with the flower boy.”

 

Groaning, Kaneki rubbed his eyes with his hand. The tattoo artist was tired, he hadn’t slept the last night thanks to his excitement and nervousness. A certain blond hadn’t felt like leaving his thoughts.

 

“But Touka, I need you there. You saw me acting around him. And it’s your wedding anyway, you should choose the flowers.” His voice was whining, pleading.

 

She didn’t look convinced.

 

“Sorry, Kaneki. You’re on your own here. I’m going to meet up with my brother. Besides, it’s too embarrassing watching you making a fool out of yourself.”

 

It seemed as if his glares didn’t kill people because the girl still stood in front of him, smug grin on her pretty face.

 

“Thank you for your support.”

 

“You’re welcome. And now come with me. Someone wants to see you before you go on your date with the flower boy.”

 

Following the girl, Kaneki groaned.

 

“His name is Hide, okay? So you guys can stop calling him names.”

 

His friend didn’t answer and the tattoo artist found himself pouting. They entered the backroom of the shop and upon stepping into it, Kaneki saw Tsukiyama and Kanae already waiting for him. Confused, grey eyes looked back and forth between his friends.

 

“What are you guys up to?”

 

Smirking, Tsukiyama ignored Kaneki’s question and looked at Touka who now stood behind the tattoo artist.

 

“Hold him.”

 

Before the boy could react, strong arms wrapped around his arms and waist, preventing him from leaving. He yelped and tried to free himself but it was no use — The girl was too strong. Grey eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights of a car and he almost whimpered.

 

“Guys, please don’t.”

 

His friends didn’t seem affected by his pleading voice, Tsukiyama turned around and asked Kanae to get his suitcase. Nodding, the purple-haired man went over to the mirror and got it. Kaneki tried to see what was hidden in it but his best friend prevented him from taking a look.

 

Turning around, Tsukiyama smirked while holding up a brush and make up.

 

“Oh no. Please no.”

 

“Oh yes, _mon ami._ You’ll be the most beautiful flower your florist ever saw.”

 

* * *

 

Kaneki wouldn’t describe himself as a stalker. After all, he was just peeking into the flower shop. There wasn’t anything unusual to it. Nope. Just a white-haired boy walking around in front of the entrance, screaming internally and trying to decide whether he should enter or just go away.

 

Seriously, this was a bad idea. A horrible idea.

 

Touka’s and Tsukiyama’s idea to be correct.

 

The white-haired boy thought he looked hilarious, with the light red on his pale cheeks. He appreciated his friend’s effort to make him more lively and hide the dark circles under his eyes. But the tattoo artist still looked like a corpse.

 

The thought made him smile: A corpse dati— meeting the reincarnation of sun.

 

Absently, he wondered if he was going to burn to ashes in the presence of Hide.

 

_Hide._

 

When did he start thinking of the florist like that? Kaneki didn’t know. But he loved the way the name sounded in his head, wanted to say it out loud.

 

His calm was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. The boy wouldn’t have called it squeaking but he admitted that the sound escaping his mouth wasn’t as manly as he would have wished.

 

Turning around, grey eyes widened upon laying on a beautiful woman. She wasn’t much older than himself and she had kind brown eyes and hair.

 

“Ah, sorry for surprising you. I was just wondering if you had any business with the shop? You see, I’m an employee. Maybe I can help you out or something?”

 

Kaneki was entranced by the bright smile she sent him. The girl reminded him of an afternoon in a park, while bees made their way from one flower to another. She seemed to be pretty — on the outside and inside. The boy found himself smiling shyly and his hand rubbed his shoulder.

 

“I’m… well, I wouldn’t say that I need help, not exactly. It’s more like, you know, I was going to meet someone though I don’t know if he’s ready so I thought that maybe, I could, don’t know, wait an—”

 

“Ahh! You must be Kaneki. Hide told me that you two wanted to meet up today! Sure, just come in! He should be somewhere in the back! I’m sure he would love to see you right now!”

 

“Love?” Yep, definitely a manly squeal.

 

“He didn’t stop talking about you yesterday. So yea, would you like to come in?”

 

Even though she was smiling at him, the tattoo artist had the feeling as if this girl knew more than she admitted.

 

Kaneki was scared of entering the shop. But maybe it would be easier to visit Hide with her by his side. This way, the attention wouldn’t be fully set on him.

 

Nodding, the white-haired boy sent her a small smile. 

 

“I’m Kimi, by the way.”

 

The girl — _Kimi_ — opened the door and after a short moment of hesitation, the boy followed her.

 

Kaneki was overwhelmed by the scent of dozens of flowers. He recognized the smell of roses, tulpes and...

 

Camellias.

 

The memory of the blond giving it to him made his heart beat just a little bit faster. Even if the florist gave everyone a flower on their first visit, the white-haired boy couldn’t help but feel special.

 

The next thing the tattoo artist noticed was the blond.

 

With a rose in his mouth.

 

Laying in front of a boy who just turned to leave.

 

Kaneki didn’t know how to react, how to behave. Whenever he entered the flower shop, he was greeted by a situation he had never experienced before. It was scaring him —  made him nervous. But somehow, the white-haired boy liked the feeling of the unknown. It was something he began to connect the blond with.

 

“W-wait, Nishiki!!”, Hide called out, struggling to sit up from their working bench. His voice was muffled by the rose between his teeth.

 

The brown-haired boy, who Kaneki guessed was Nishiki, didn’t spare the florist another glance before he grabbed Kimi by the arm and left the shop with her together.

 

_Well, that was weird._

The tattoo artist watched the two of them walking down the streets, saw the boy laying his arm around the girl’s waist.

 

_So they’re in a relationship, huh?_

 

A sigh stopped Kaneki from thinking further and the the white-haired boy turned his head in order to look for the source.

 

Hide was sitting on the bench, hands ruffled messy blond hair. The rose was in his other hand and his legs were dangling. Kaneki felt his face heat up, tried to swallow the sudden lump in his throat.

 

He wanted to leave, wanted to stay.

 

Wanted to draw the florist.

 

Finally, brown eyes looked up and widened upon seeing Kaneki. The tattoo artist felt as if the sun had just risen.

 

“Oh, hey Kaneki!”, Hide laughed and it sounded strained.

 

A toothy grin was sent his way and the boy found himself mesmerized by the blond’s presence. Kaneki’s finger twitched, the need to capture the moment was almost too strong. Intertwining his hands, the boy tried to stop fidgeting around.

 

Using his hands, Hide jumped down the bench and stretched his arms out as if he had just performed a stunt. The tattoo artist smiled slightly and clapped his hands unsurely.

 

Puzzled brown orbs watched him and Kaneki immediately stopped the clapping. Shit, had he done something wrong? Was Hide thinking he was weird? Why the hell did he do that? Now the blond would think of him as an awkward weirdo, wh-

 

Seeing the bright grin on the florist’s face stopped his train of thoughts and made his heart flutter. Kaneki couldn’t stop his little giggle upon seeing Hide bowing down, throwing kisses at flowers…

 

...and the tattoo artist.

 

Did his heart just stop a beat?

 

Hide didn’t seem to notice his sudden tension. He walked towards the tattoo artist and put the rose back into a vase.

 

“Thank you, my dear fans, for your applause. I appreciate your support and will sign leaves later.”, the florist almost sang. Grin never leaving his face, Kaneki absently wondered how he got so lucky to meet the other.

 

He wondered if Hide had a girlfriend.

 

Or a boyfriend.

 

There was no way that handsome and lovable and cheerful and warmhearted and caring an—

 

_You’re in too deep, Ken._

 

“I guess it’s your break then?”, the florist grinned. Kaneki felt his heart beat just a little bit faster, felt his cheeks heating up. If this boy in front of him was like the sun, the tattoo artist was sure that he already got a sunburn.

 

But somehow, the itchy feeling made him smile.

 

The white-haired boy absently thought of Icarus, who burnt his wings by flying too close to the sun. Though if it was Hide, Kaneki wouldn’t mind turning into nuggets in order to see him again.

 

“Yeah, my break just started. So…”, he began but didn’t know how to finish his sentence. Luckily, it seemed like the blond knew just too well what he was trying to say.

 

“Perfect.”, Hide said and rolled the ‘r’. It sounded silly and the toothy grin on his face gave Kaneki the rest. The tattoo artist started to laugh and surprisingly, he couldn’t stop. Kaneki was confused, didn’t know why he was acting like that. Maybe it was because of the tension or the florist’s behaviour, but the tattoo artist felt tears starting to form. His stomach hurt and he held his arms around him, tried to stop the slight pain from spreading.

 

Gasping for air, he finally calmed down and when he looked up, grey met warm brown. The white-haired boy expected the florist to laugh at him, or send him a weird look. But the caring and almost affectionate eyes stole the air from his lungs, made his heart flutter. The neverending grin changed into a gentle smile and Kaneki found himself unable to look away.

 

“Okay, let’s go and grab a coffee. But be careful: Drinking too much coffee can cause a latte problems.”

 

Kaneki wondered how many puns he would hear that day…  
  


  
He was looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that it took so long! I made a cut here because I'm sure that the next chapter would be funnier with Hide's pov! thanks for reading~
> 
> my tumblr: my tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)
> 
> beta'd by the amazing [hidebot](http://hidebot.tumblr.com/) please check her fics out!!
> 
> idea by the beautiful [pomelopasta](http://pomelopasta.tumblr.com/)~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry that I took so long with this! I don't even have an excuse, I'm really sorry.
> 
> awesome fanart by [totalshenanigans](http://totalshenanigans.tumblr.com//): [please check them out!!](http://totalshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/133919210553/some-doodles-based-off-of-farbsturz-s-hella-cute)

He wasn’t nervous. Nope. Not at all. If you were to look up the word “calmness” in an encyclopedia, you would find the name ‘Hideyoshi Nagachika’ written in small letters beneath it. Tripping over his own feet and running into the glass door was only an indication for his excitement and total awesomeness.

 

Yep.

 

Sighing, Hide rubbed his nose, glared at the door which dared to stand in his way. Who did it think it was, not making place for the handsome and talented florist who was also an amazing singer? Silently promising himself to never sing for the entrance again, the blond followed his dat— _No. Not that word. Friend? Nah._

 

The blond followed his client, walked a few steps behind the tattoo artist.

 

_Yea, that sounds about right._

 

He would be professional. Like, if there was something like a prize for the best specialist, Hide would be first place. And second. And third.

 

Anyway, what the blond tried to tell himself was that he didn’t need a reason to be nervous.

 

Or scared.

 

Even though the awkward silence seemed to think otherwise.

 

_Oh boy._

 

Walking down the street, Hide studied their surroundings. It was a beautiful yet cloudy day, people were busy with their own lives and phones, walked past the two of them as if they didn't exist. The florist was surprised how the passerby didn't appreciate the artist’s unique hair or these stormy eyes. Not to forget these fingers which never seemed to stay still, feeling the need to express their thoughts and emotions through the colourful ink. A small smile appeared on the blond’s lips at the thought of Kaneki drawing, tongue sticking out in concentration and a hairclip holding back his bangs.

 

_Look at me, analyzing my client._

 

“So… do you know a nice Café, Nekkers?”

 

He hadn’t expected the white-haired boy to stop in his tracks, hissed when he bumped into the other’s back. Quickly taking a step back, Hide rubbed his slightly hurt nose, mumbled an apology. The reason why Kaneki had suddenly stopped walking was unknown to him and studying the artist’s body language, he only now noticed the tense pose. _Did something happen?_

 

When Kaneki didn’t react or speak up, the blond became worried and tried to walk around the boy, attempting to see the other’s face. Brown widened in surprise upon taking in the rather red face, a small smile twitched on his lips when he took in the contrast between face and hair.

 

“W-What did you call me?”

 

_Oh damn._

 

Trying to remember his exact words, Hide finally understood the other’s reaction, wanted to slap himself into the face. _For being oh so professional, you just gave your client a damn nickname! Smooth move, idiot!_

 

“I-I… Well… You see… uhm…”

 

His imaginary self began to load the pistol, sighed and shot himself in the foot while shaking his head. Hide wanted to glare at the image, yet had to think of an excuse.

 

Too bad he couldn’t think of one.

 

Rubbing his neck in embarrassment, the florist sent the boy a toothy smile. He prayed his face didn’t decide to match the tomato he had eaten for breakfast, couldn’t afford to lose his cool.

 

“I-I give all of my customers a name, you know? That way I-I get to know them and they become more than just f-faces for me!”

 

_Smooth._

 

Kaneki didn’t seem persuaded but luckily, the artist decided to let go of the topic. A simple nod was all Hide received and seeing the white-haired boy continuing to walk, the blond was both relieved and disappointed. Shaking his head, the florist was quick to recover and hurried to catch up with his client, crossed his arms behind his head.

 

“A friend of mine… She… well… She works in a café… Nice and comfortable… T-The café, I mean!”

 

Hearing the words, melted brown glanced over at the tattoo artist and Hide couldn’t help but smile at the rushed tone the other had used in order to correct himself, was happy the other wasn’t minding the obvious slip of his tongue.

 

“Then let’s go there!”

 

Unsure grey looked over soon enough and Hide made sure to sent him one of the brightest smiles he could muster up, tilted his head when Kaneki suddenly averted his gaze once again.

 

* * *

 

If you wondered how long it would take him to make a fool out of himself, the answer would be: not even five minutes.

 

It was hard to hold back his laughter but even harder was it to prevent the latte macchiato from exiting his nose. He was holding his hand in front of his face, snorted and desperately tried to spare Kaneki from seeing something rather… unappetizing. The florist teared up and lifted the mug in order to spit the drink back, coughed while hitting his chest slightly. A part of him acknowledged the weird gazes directed at him but mostly did he care about the boy sitting opposite from him, dismissed the worried look with a wave of his hand.

 

“I-I’m fine!”

 

Well, if ‘fine’ described the moment before choking and dying then yea — he was pretty fine.

 

His lungs were filled with several deep breaths, were thankful for the air lacking a nicely brewed and damn hot liquid. Heart finally deciding to calm down, Hide sent the artist a toothy smile while picking up the tissue in order to clean his mouth. The florist tried his best to ignore burning cheeks, wished he wouldn’t always make such a big fool out of himself but here he was, wiping his drink from his shirt as well.

 

“So… You wanted to dye your hair blond but you didn’t pay attention to the package which led to white, huh? I guess that happens when you fall asleep before washing it out…”

 

It was ridiculous how serious the florist sounded once again, only the hint of a smirk lingering on his lips. Hide didn’t mean to embarrass his client, only found joy in the idea of Kaneki falling asleep with a towel around his shoulders while his wisdom gets the better of his hair.

 

However, the blond noticed the obvious uneasiness the other seemed to give off and deciding to jump over his shadow, Hide prayed that the darkness didn’t decide to make him trip.

 

“Though I really like your white hair… It fits you and makes you unique in your own way… Which isn’t bad, you know?”

 

Humming to himself, Hide rested his head on his hand and stirred his drink with a spoon, soon lifted it to lick it clean. A small smile was hidden and he came to like the faint red on the usual so pale face of his cru—client.

 

“T-Thank you…”

 

The mumbled words were enough to make the florist squeal internally and he looked at Kaneki through his eyelashes, didn’t dare to reveal his own reddening cheeks. His fingers played around with the tissue and began to tear it apart when the blond noticed something he hadn’t seen before. Head being tilted, Hide studied the white-haired boy rubbing his neck out of embarrassment, squinted brown eyes at the animal which seemed to creep its way onto the other’s body, peeking over the artist’s shoulder.

 

“That’s an interesting tattoo you have there...”

 

Realising that he had spoken the words out loud, Hide quickly covered his mouth with a hand and looked at the other who had been tensing up once again. It was amazing how much he blundered today and the blond absently wondered if he could beat some kind of record for saying the most misplaced things a day.

 

The hand which quickly hid the inked bug was enough to tell the florist that he had just entered a rather sensible topic, something Kaneki would rather avoid. Thinking quick, Hide pulled out a crumpled-up paper and unfolded it in front of the white-haired boy. Different flowers were imprinted on the small piece and the blond shoved it towards the other.

 

“I think we should go with a nice contrast between purple and white. Even though there exist purple roses, I would rather go with white ones because they seem to fit more to the topic.” Pointing at different flowers on the paper, Hide began to explain their different meaning and usage.

 

* * *

 

“I hope I managed to help you a bit, Kaneki.”

 

Rubbing the back of his neck, the florist sent his client a merry grin, faint red evident on his cheeks. They were standing in front of the tattoo shop and Hide wasn’t quite sure how to end their da— meeting. Passersby walked past the two of them but the blond didn’t pay them any attention, was mesmerized by the way the sunbeams seemed to dance on white snow which concealed a colourful mind with ideas and shapes the world hadn’t seen yet.

 

A deformed ice sculpture which tried to repair itself, used the light of the world in order to mask its own shadows, tried to act transparent in order not to be seen. It almost seemed pure, the white hair and pale skin but these eyes revealed that nothing was innocent in a life. Grey talked about a story the blond didn’t understand and even though Hide had tried his best to read it through the time they had spent together, the florist had found himself that all he had succeeded was skimming through the foreword. Scars the same colour as a smile were hidden behind these layers and even though brown had made sure to avoid the place, the florist was still wondering why a centipede was crawling over the other’s neck.

 

“You were a great help, Hide… Thank you.”

 

Getting torn out of his thoughts, the florist blinked surprised at the genuine tone Kaneki had used, couldn’t help but grin while crossing his arms behind his arms.

 

“It’s fine! You got the notes, right? Feel free to come over as soon as you decided and we can order them! Well, I’ll order them and you might stand beside me… But you know what I mean!”

 

They both seemed to wait, knew that it was time to depart but neither wanted to do the first step. Eyes met, tried to ask an unspoken question but no answer was whispered, no reply was allowed to be seen. _Should I ask him for another meeting? No, forget it, Hide. He’s still taken and you shouldn’t try it anymore._

 

Reaching out, the blond offered his hand for the artist to take, smile just a bit more forced.

 

“It was a great break, thanks for that, Kaneki.”

 

Hesitation was obviously portrayed in grey but before he could pull his hand back, a cold but soft one grabbed his own. These fingers seemed to be as fragile as their owner and Hide promised himself silently that he would make sure not to hurt them.

 

Soon enough did they let go and the florist turned to leave, buried his hands in his pocket and prayed that his hand hadn’t been too sweaty.

 

“Uhm…”

 

Hide looked over his shoulder, blinked surprised when Kaneki rubbed his own neck, eyes averted.

 

“Say, Hide… W-What… uhm… is your favourite flower?”

 

Cocking his head at the rather weird question, the florist had to think for a minute before finally answering with a soft smile.

 

“Forget-me-not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr: my tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)
> 
> beta'd by the amazing [mildlycuriousdragon](http://mildlycuriousdragon.tumblr.com/) please check her art out!!
> 
> idea by the beautiful [pomelopasta](http://pomelopasta.tumblr.com/)~


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